Innovations

Discover the core technologies behind the NOUS European Cloud Service. By unifying #compute, #edge, and #data, we deliver a modular open-source continuum designed for key European domains: Mobility, Energy, Green Deal, and Science.
We prioritize community-driven innovation, and our Request a Feature form (coming soon) will allow you to share your technical needs and directly co-create the future of our platform!

Single and distributed advanced architectures for Quantum reservoir computing for time-series prediction

HPC/quantum-enabled energy forecasting. Predictive maintenance and materials investigation

Layer: #compute
Domain: Energy & Utilities, Industry & HPC

Current TRL: 3

TRL progression: 1 – 3

Lead partner: NCSRD

Contributing partners: PPC

Problems addressed

Industrial plants and energy operators face unpredicted equipment failures, inefficient materials testing, and inaccurate energy forecasts due to siloed sensor and operational data and limited access to scalable HPC/quantum analytics.

Unique Value Proposition

Combines sensor, operational and energy data with HPC and quantum-enhanced computing workflows to support accurate time-series forecasting.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Simulations in HPC systems using QC simulators with active noise profiles

Hard metrics: Grid Load short-term forecasting accuracy >95%

Target Stakeholder Segments

Industrial Plant Maintenance Engineers, HPC/Quantum Researchers, and Energy Management Operations.

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: CC BY 4.0 license (methodology and research results)

Commercial Streams: Open access & R&I re-use

Proprietary Strategy:

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Energy grid management Energy producer supply sectors Pharmaceutical and Chemicals industries

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

1 year post-project

InteroperabilityMediator

Automated edge protocol translation and dynamic semantic alignment

Layer: #edge
Domain: Cross-Domain Data Spaces

Current TRL: 5

TRL progression: 3 – 6

Lead partner: UNP

Contributing partners: ITML; UNIPI

Problems addressed

Heterogeneous IoT edge devices use incompatible communication protocols, creating severe technical fragmentation and high integration costs.

Unique Value Proposition

Deploys a delegated network of lightweight edge mediators that perform zero-code dynamic data translation and semantic alignment close to data origins.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Internal lab testing, Planning UC testing

Hard metrics: Pending UC testing

Target Stakeholder Segments

Data marketplace developers, IoT middleware providers, and system integrators

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: MIT License

Commercial Streams: Fee-based commercial transactions for advanced middleware services and custom data model transformations.

Proprietary Strategy: Dual-tier model (open-source core with proprietary commercial adapters and enterprise integration services).

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Industrial IoT, Smart Cities, Middleware & Data Marketplaces

Availability

https://gitlab.eclipse.org/eclipse-research-labs/nous-project/data-spaces-participants/data-agent/edge-interoperability-mediator

https://gitlab.eclipse.org/eclipse-research-labs/nous-project/data-spaces-participants/data-agent/nous_wp4-service-connector-template

Estimated Time to Market

2–3 years post-project

HiveMind

Modular, privacy-preserving Federated Learning orchestration across the compute-edge continuum

Layer: #edge
Domain: Cross-Domain Data Spaces

Current TRL: 5

TRL progression: 4 – 6

Lead partner: ITML

Problems addressed

Centralised AI training violates strict data privacy regulations, incurs heavy network bandwidth overheads, and creates severe latency bottlenecks when streaming data to central servers

Unique Value Proposition

Modular backbone that abstracts away FL orchestration complexity (training rounds, aggregation, trust, scheduling), enabling multi-organisation collaborative AI training while raw data never leaves local infrastructure

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Integrated into ITML’s 3ACES analytics engine and validated on edge-to-cloud continuum inference testbeds.

Hard metrics:
-50% local memory and CPU compute overhead on edge devices
70% faster learning time
95% guaranteed delay compliance

Target Stakeholder Segments

AI/ML Engineers, Edge Software Developers, Telecom Infrastructure Leads, Enterprise Privacy Officers

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: Apache 2.0 built on Flower Framework

Commercial Streams:

Proprietary Strategy: Trade secret for Core IP

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Edge AI Infrastructure, Telecommunications, Distributed Data Analytics

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

2–3 years post-project

NOUS Cybersecurity Component

Zero Trust darknet overlay for multi-tenant cloud security

Layer: #architecture, #compute
Domain: Industry & HPC

Current TRL: 4

TRL progression: 3 – 5

Lead partner: AEGIS

Contributing partners: Integration & Validation Partners: NCSRD, ITML, HPE, PPC, ARCTUR, CS

Problems addressed

Data, applications, and infrastructure remain fragmented across organizational and technological boundaries, limiting interoperability and collaboration.

Unique Value Proposition

Transforms European Data Spaces into programmable middleware that federates data, applications, and infrastructure across the cloud–edge–HPC continuum.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in:
1. Sandbox Environment 2. MASA living lab 3. CI infastructure

Hard metrics:
5 Data Space Participants Deployed
4 architectural instances deployed and tested
100% successful connector interoperability with 2 external Data Spaces
23 successful data publishing operations
100% successful asset discovery operations,
100% successful contract negotiations and transfers completed

Target Stakeholder Segments

Data Space Operators, Infrastructure providers, Data Owners and Integrators, Platform Operators, AI service providers, Cloud Edge Service Providers, Researchers

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: Apache License Version 2.0

Commercial Streams: PaaS and DSaaS (Data Space as a Service), arcitecture consulting, migration strategies, system integration and connector deployement.

Proprietary Strategy: data space components remain open, while domain-specific applications, orchestration capabilities, AI services, and enterprise features are protected as proprietary intellectual property

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Smart Cities, Research Institures, Data Space Platforms, Energy Utilities, Critical Infrastructure Protection

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

1-2 years post project

The Auto-Standardiser

Automated schema mapping into European data space standards.

Layer: #data
Domain: Green Deal, Smart Mobility

Current TRL: 4 (for GTFS industry standard schemas)

TRL progression: 1 – 4

Lead partner: AETHON

Contributing partners: NET INTRA, UNP

Problems addressed

Converting heterogeneous, messy databases into European industry-standard schemas (GTFS, FIWARE) is extremely slow, complex, expensive, and prone to human entry errors.

Unique Value Proposition

Automatically maps and translates datasets into recognized European standards using linguistic machine-learning algorithms paired with supervised Human-in-the-Loop (HiTL) validation

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Internal lab testing for transport and energy.

Hard metrics:
>50% Reduction in mapping time
Supports a minimum of 3 official industry schemas across Mobility, Energy, and Green Deal sectors
Continuous ML learning rate

Target Stakeholder Segments

Data Engineers, Database Administrators, Public Transport Authorities (PTAs), Transport Service Providers (TSPs), and Corporate CTOs

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: EPL-2.0/Apache 2.0 for the core schema mapping algorithms

Commercial Streams: TransiTool web application SaaS; Custom schema integration fees; HiTL Supervisor-as-a-Service

Proprietary Strategy: Software Copyright; Background IP Protection

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Public Transport & Urban Mobility, Regional Energy Grids, Green Deal Data Spaces, and Logistics

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

~1 year post-project

Virtual Lab chatbot/voicebot

Multilingual and culturally aware text/voice AI assistant for cross-domain data discovery.

Layer: #architecture
Domain: Cross-Domain Data Spaces

Current TRL: 4

TRL progression: 4 – 5

Lead partner: AETHON

Contributing partners: USAL

Problems addressed

Non-expert users and interdisciplinary researchers face steep learning curves and slow manual navigation when searching, querying, and attempting to utilize complex technical datasets and documentation.

Unique Value Proposition

Culturally aware Natural Language Processing (NLP) text and voice assistant integrated into the Virtual Lab platform, enabling plain-language interactions to query cross-domain data spaces and Q&A knowledge bases.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Integrated with AETHON’s Virtual Lab platform for cross-domain dataset Q&A interaction.

Hard metrics:
30+ languages supported with automatic detection (no configuration required)
RSA-2048 per-token encryption on the VirtualLab channel
10-turn conversation history maintained per session
Top-3 document retrieval via pgvector cosine similarity (threshold 0.55, 384-dim embeddings)
Voice input supported via Whisper STT (WebM audio → transcription → LLM response)
2 integrated platforms: VirtualLab (live), NCSRD (in progress)

Target Stakeholder Segments

Researchers, Data Scientists, Municipal Staff, Students, University Deans, and Regional Government Innovation Officers

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License:
Current licenses of VL: MIT License, BSD-3-Clause, CC0-1.0, GPL
Current licenses of USAL’s chatbot component: Apache 2.0

Commercial Streams: Virtual Lab SaaS subscriptions; Custom integration SLAs;

Proprietary Strategy: Software & Content Copyright

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Universities, Research Organisations, Local Municipalities, and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs)

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

1–2 years post-project

Connected Vehicles perception module

Ultra-low-latency 5G MEC perception service for urban road safety.

Layer: #edge
Domain: Smart Mobility

Current TRL: 7

TRL progression: 6 – 9

Lead partner: POLITO

Contributing partners: TIM

Problems addressed

Urban blind spots and streaming raw video to distant cloud servers create high latency, high bandwidth costs, and severe safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists.

Unique Value Proposition

Bridges AI, 5G MEC edge nodes, and roadside sensors to deliver real-time hazard warnings with millisecond latency reduction while keeping raw video local.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Validated in real urban traffic at the Modena Automotive Smart Area (MASA) Living Lab using TIM’s commercial 5G MEC infrastructure.

Hard metrics:
≥90% VRU detection accuracy
Millisecond latency reduction
20+ deployed smart camera nodes to ensure 100% data sovereignty due to local raw video processing

Target Stakeholder Segments

Smart City Traffic Engineers, Autonomous Driving Systems Developers, Telecom Edge Engineers, Vehicle Manufacturers

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License:

Commercial Streams: Scenario AI licensing, integration, & support; Specialised system integration services and technical support; Premium 5G Edge Infrastructure & Connectivity-as-a-Service packages

Proprietary Strategy: Software Copyright & Joint IPR Agreement

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Connected & Automated Mobility, Telecommunications (5G MEC Operators), Automotive OEMs

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

>3 years post-project

Energy Prediction and Energy Data Lifecycle Management

Secure forecasting pipeline for renewable energy yield and pricing.

Layer: #compute, #data
Domain: Energy & Utilities

Current TRL: 3

TRL progression: 1 – 3

Lead partner: AETHON

Contributing partners: PPC; AEGIS; ARCTUR; DEMOKRITOS; NET-INTRA;ITML; UNIMORE; POLITO

Problems addressed

Inaccurate renewable energy forecasts lead to severe wholesale electricity pricing errors, high balancing penalties, and manual reporting overheads.

Unique Value Proposition

Fuses weather, plant IoT, and market data using HPC resources and quantum-enhanced ML to deliver precise intraday energy generation forecasting and market price optimization.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Deployed and tested on the Arctur HPC infrastructure using PPC energy production datasets combined with meteorological and wholesale market data.

Hard metrics:
nRMSE < 10% Forecasting Accuracy
<2-hour client onboarding speed
Measured reduction in data ingestion latency and forecasting time

Target Stakeholder Segments

Energy Market Analysts, Renewable Energy Source (RES) Plant Managers, Utility Data Engineers, and Energy Service Companies (ESCOs).

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License:
Research & UC2 deliverables: CC BY 4.0
Software Codebase & Modules: MIT license

Commercial Streams: Monthly/annual SaaS subscriptions; Custom ML s ite training fees; Utility SLAs & core software licensing; Performance-based tiering & integration fees

Proprietary Strategy: Software Copyright & Trade Secret; Confidentiality (NDAs)

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Energy Utilities, Renewable Power Generation, Wholesale Electricity Trading, and Smart Grids.

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

~1 year post-project

Data Space connector and stream handler platform

Secure entry point for real-time Data Space stream handling.

Layer: #data
Domain: Cross-Domain Data Spaces

Current TRL: 6

TRL progression: 6 – 7

Lead partner: NET INTRA

Problems addressed

Fragmented data ecosystems lack secure, standardized connectors and identity trust layers for cross-organisational real-time streaming.

Unique Value Proposition

Provides a single entry point to manage, transform, and stream real-time data across diverse sources while enforcing Gaia-X and DSSC governance policies.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Tested under real-world conditions within the MASA living lab and cross-domain streaming environments.

Hard metrics:
1-2 hour non-experienced onboarding
Supports 3 to 5 active connected participants per deployment
High-throughput stream handling

Target Stakeholder Segments

Data Space Operators/Orchestrators, Enterprise System Integrators, Cloud/Edge Service Providers, and Infrastructure Managers

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: EPL/Apache 2.0 open-source middleware

Commercial Streams: PaaS value-added bundling, enterprise integration consulting

Proprietary Strategy: Software Copyright & Permissive Open Source License

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Sectoral Data Spaces (Gaia-X, DSSC, SIMPL), Enterprise Cloud Ecosystems, and Smart Mobility

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

2–3 years post-project

Data Economy Evaluator

Specialised GUEST tool for Data Space sustainability assessment.

Layer: #architecture
Domain: Cross-Domain Data Spaces

Current TRL: 5

TRL progression: 5 – 8

Lead partner: POLITO

Contributing partners: AETHON

Problems addressed

Organizations lack standardized, repeatable tools to quantify the economic return, quality, and sustainability of sharing data in Data Spaces.

Unique Value Proposition

Specializes POLITO’s Lean Business GUEST methodology to evaluate the financial, environmental, operational, and social viability of data assets and transaction policies.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in:
Car-sharing services (Turin): Tested across 4 operators using real traffic data from 150 samples.
Last-mile logistics (Turin): Tested with an international parcel-delivery company evaluating mixed fleets (vans & cargo bikes).

Hard metrics:
Simulation standard deviation <10% of the mean for expected annual user costs.

Target Stakeholder Segments

Innovation Managers, Policy Makers, Data Space Governance Boards, Regulators, and Strategy Consultants

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: Permissive Open Source Core combined with commercial dual-licensing for enterprise deployment.

Commercial Streams: Non-exclusive commercial licensing for requesting organisations (e.g., consulting firms and data space integrators) based on a fixed and variable fee structure.
Bilateral collaboration & Research agreements for organisations intending to deploy the asset internally for innovation groups and R&D units.

Proprietary Strategy:
Software Copyright & Trade Secrets; Contractual IP Protection (NDAs/EULAs/SLAs)

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Policy Bodies, Data Space Orchestrators, Public Administration, and Management Consultancies

Availability

http://guestmethod.com/

Estimated Time to Market

2 year post-project

Blockchain-based Data Life Cycle

GDPR-compliant blockchain trust layer for data lifecycle auditing.

Layer: #data
Domain: Green Deal, Smart Mobility

Current TRL: 5

TRL progression: 5 – 8

Lead partner: POLITO

Contributing partners: AIR

Problems addressed

Lack of verifiable audit trails for data storage, modification, and access across distributed cloud/edge nodes, coupled with GDPR compliance risks.

Unique Value Proposition

Logs cryptographic summaries/hashes of data lifecycle events (ADD, UPDATE, REVOKE) on a low-energy DLT while keeping raw data off-chain, ensuring immutable auditability and full GDPR compliance

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in: Tested within the UC1 in the MASA environment

Hard metrics:
100% cryptographic separation rate
100% verifiable operation history across distributed edge/cloud nodes
Sub-second transaction execution speed

Target Stakeholder Segments

Data Protection/GDPR Officers, Enterprise Compliance Directors, Data Integrators, Smart City Developers, and Fleet Managers.

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: Soon

Commercial Streams: Tiered Enterprise Licensing; Pay-per-notarized-event API plans; Compliance Auditing & Provenance SaaS/PaaS; System Integration & Engineering Services

Proprietary Strategy: Software Copyright & Background IP Protection

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Automotive Supply Chains, Smart Cities, Logistics, and Cross-Domain Data Spaces

Availability

CODE LINK

Estimated Time to Market

1 year post-project

NOUS Core platform & architecture

Federated Data Space Middleware

Layer: #architecture
Domain: Cross-Domain Data Spaces

Current TRL: 6

TRL progression: 7

Lead partner: NET INTRA

Contributing partners: ITML; POLITO; ECL

Problems addressed

Data, applications, and infrastructure remain fragmented across organizational and technological boundaries, limiting interoperability and collaboration.

Unique Value Proposition

Transforms European Data Spaces into programmable middleware that federates data, applications, and infrastructure across the cloud–edge–HPC continuum.

Validated UC & Key Performance Benchmark

Tested in:
1. Sandbox Environment 2. MASA living lab 3. CI infastructure

Target Stakeholder Segments

Data Space Operators, Infrastructure providers, Data Owners and Integrators, Platform Operators, AI service providers, Cloud Edge Service Providers, Researchers

License Model & IP and Commercial Strategy

Open Source License: Apache License Version 2.0

Commercial Streams: PaaS and DSaaS (Data Space as a Service), arcitecture consulting, migration strategies, system integration and connector deployement.

Key Industry / Vertical Markets

Smart Cities, Research Institures, Data Space Platforms, Energy Utilities, Critical Infrastructure Protection

Availability

Soon

Estimated Time to Market

1-2 years post project